your head around the fact that what we see and experience on an everyday level is just a tiny part of what is actually out there, it’s easier to deal with. You’re one of the lucky ones. Your time at the Kansas institute opened your eyes to the possibilities. That’s another reason why I’m still here. I trust your judgment. I know you’re not just the victim of an overactive imagination like so many people.”
“Well, thank you for that. But then I never thought I was.”
Carter ground out the cigarette in the car’s ashtray and lit another.
“You smoke too much,” Annie said.
“It’s been said before. But I’m past caring these days. I’ll die when it’s time for me to die.”
“Oh, very fatalistic.”
“True though. Believe me, I’ve come very close to it over the last few years, but I’m still here, so I have to assume there’s a reason for that.”
A light drizzle was falling from a thunderous-looking sky. Annie switched on the wipers. “It’s funny,” she said. “I never had you pegged as the religious type.”
“Religion’s got nothing to do with it, at least not in the conventional way. But you can’t do what I do without realizing that there are much greater forces at work out there. The universe is like some gigantic machine. We’re just the tiny cogs that keep the machine running. We’re put here for a purpose and it’s up to the individual to discover what that purpose is. I think it’s fortunate that very few people ever do.”
“Fortunate? Why?”
“Because if they knew they would be so weighed down with the responsibility of fulfilling that purpose it would probably drive them insane.”
“And do you know what your purpose is?”
“Good God, no. I just drift through it all, blown about like a reed in the wind.”
“Well, if you don’t know, I don’t hold out much hope for the rest of us.”
They passed an ornate sign on the left-hand side of the road. Welcome to Ravensbridge .
“Nearly home,” Annie said.
“Take us down to the canal. I want to see if Holly’s turned up.”
“Are you worried about her?”
Carter nodded. “I think she may be in danger, simply through her association with Norton. Whoever orchestrated the attack did so for a reason. We need to find out what that reason is.”
Annie parked in the car park of the Three Tuns pub and led Carter down a steep path to the canal.
“Holly’s boat is about fifty yards along, just the other side of the bridge.” She threaded her arm through Carter’s. “It’s so good to see you again, Rob,” she said.
“Same here,” he said.
A few yards before they reached the bridge, Carter stopped. “This is where it happened. This was where Norton was attacked.”
“Really? How can you tell?”
“I can still feel her. The demon. This is where she struck.”
Annie glanced around nervously. “I can’t feel anything,” she said.
“You won’t. It doesn’t matter. Come on. Just up here, you say?”
“It’s that boat there. The one with all the paintings.” She pointed to a narrow boat twenty yards away. It was nestled between two others, but was set apart from its neighbors by its sheer exuberance. Holly Ireland obviously loved her home. It was there in every brush stroke of every crude painting.
As Carter climbed aboard and tried the door, Annie cupped her eyes with her hands and peered through one of the side windows.
“No reply,” Carter called. “Anything?”
“No. She’s not here.”
Carter stepped back onto the bank. “Is there anywhere she hangs out? A pub? Club?”
Annie shook her head. “I wouldn’t know. I’ve only ever seen her here.”
“Hey! You two!”
They turned to see Holly Ireland emerge from under the bridge, walking towards them. She was wearing the same clothes as the night before.
Annie ran to greet her. “Holly! Thank God you’re all right.”
“All right? Why shouldn’t I be all right?”
“The police are looking for
“Well, thank you for that. But then I never thought I was.”
Carter ground out the cigarette in the car’s ashtray and lit another.
“You smoke too much,” Annie said.
“It’s been said before. But I’m past caring these days. I’ll die when it’s time for me to die.”
“Oh, very fatalistic.”
“True though. Believe me, I’ve come very close to it over the last few years, but I’m still here, so I have to assume there’s a reason for that.”
A light drizzle was falling from a thunderous-looking sky. Annie switched on the wipers. “It’s funny,” she said. “I never had you pegged as the religious type.”
“Religion’s got nothing to do with it, at least not in the conventional way. But you can’t do what I do without realizing that there are much greater forces at work out there. The universe is like some gigantic machine. We’re just the tiny cogs that keep the machine running. We’re put here for a purpose and it’s up to the individual to discover what that purpose is. I think it’s fortunate that very few people ever do.”
“Fortunate? Why?”
“Because if they knew they would be so weighed down with the responsibility of fulfilling that purpose it would probably drive them insane.”
“And do you know what your purpose is?”
“Good God, no. I just drift through it all, blown about like a reed in the wind.”
“Well, if you don’t know, I don’t hold out much hope for the rest of us.”
They passed an ornate sign on the left-hand side of the road. Welcome to Ravensbridge .
“Nearly home,” Annie said.
“Take us down to the canal. I want to see if Holly’s turned up.”
“Are you worried about her?”
Carter nodded. “I think she may be in danger, simply through her association with Norton. Whoever orchestrated the attack did so for a reason. We need to find out what that reason is.”
Annie parked in the car park of the Three Tuns pub and led Carter down a steep path to the canal.
“Holly’s boat is about fifty yards along, just the other side of the bridge.” She threaded her arm through Carter’s. “It’s so good to see you again, Rob,” she said.
“Same here,” he said.
A few yards before they reached the bridge, Carter stopped. “This is where it happened. This was where Norton was attacked.”
“Really? How can you tell?”
“I can still feel her. The demon. This is where she struck.”
Annie glanced around nervously. “I can’t feel anything,” she said.
“You won’t. It doesn’t matter. Come on. Just up here, you say?”
“It’s that boat there. The one with all the paintings.” She pointed to a narrow boat twenty yards away. It was nestled between two others, but was set apart from its neighbors by its sheer exuberance. Holly Ireland obviously loved her home. It was there in every brush stroke of every crude painting.
As Carter climbed aboard and tried the door, Annie cupped her eyes with her hands and peered through one of the side windows.
“No reply,” Carter called. “Anything?”
“No. She’s not here.”
Carter stepped back onto the bank. “Is there anywhere she hangs out? A pub? Club?”
Annie shook her head. “I wouldn’t know. I’ve only ever seen her here.”
“Hey! You two!”
They turned to see Holly Ireland emerge from under the bridge, walking towards them. She was wearing the same clothes as the night before.
Annie ran to greet her. “Holly! Thank God you’re all right.”
“All right? Why shouldn’t I be all right?”
“The police are looking for
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